✔
The Mother series (or the Earthbound series if you're in America) is like the John Wick movies. All of them are 10/10 and it's valid to think one is better or worse than the other as long as Earthbound is your favorite. I knew going in that I would like it less than Earthbound, and I did, but it's still perfect. Yes, some things are imperfect, but they're wrong. Gosh, I love video games.

In terms of gameplay, not much changes other than a more accessible menu system, a musical combo mechanic in battles, and a chapter-based story structure. Just like in Earthbound, it gets easier as you go along. By the end of the game, my characters were all level 62 (except for Lucas, who was level 63), so I swept up the remaining encounters. The final battle, unlike Earthbound, was not against a big monster or some insurmountable foe. It was just your brother, stuck in his controlled state. Yes, it is similar to Giygas in the way that traditional attacks won't always work, but you have stakes in this because of his significance in the story (which I didn't get spoiled on, funnily enough).

Speaking of which, the story is gold like always. Shigesato Itoi knows how to craft great stories. There are tons of characters you'll like, of course. The bigger achievement on my mind is that Mother 3 manages to introduce not just one, but two people that you're going to hate (Fassad sucks, by the way). I will admit that it doesn't really start until Chapter 4 though. The first three chapters are mostly setting up the story, making you familiar with the world and characters. I admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of the concept, but it's executed masterfully here. If nothing else, the game is worth playing for the story.

Out of every game, Mother 3 definitely deserves the name Mother. Hinawa, your mom, is an important factor for most of the plot. Her death drives the motivation of Flint, Claus and Lucas, her presence is felt throughout the whole game, and it is her who manages to pull Claus back from Porky's clutches (Porky sucks, by the way). Mother 3 is more about family than any of the other games in the series, really emphasizing the familial connections. Even if we're not just talking about the mother, the other members of the family are represented well. Lucas and Claus spoke to me as two siblings who just didn't see eye to eye (yes, one was being controlled, but it can really feel that way sometimes). Of course, I can't forget Flint. He isn't a perfect dad, but we find out why this time instead of just seeing a phone ring. I really appreciate that during the end, he tries to make sure he doesn't lose anyone else like he lost Hinawa.

I know I didn't write nearly as much for this review as I did for Earthbound, but I enjoyed my time with Mother 3 so darn much. I wonder what they did in the timeline where it came to America. Maybe they called it Earthbound: Love or something. Maybe they changed the series name back to Mother. Maybe nothing happened like our current timeline. It's a shame that America has to resort to a fan translation or to just play it in Japanese. The Mother series deserves an audience and I think you ought to go try it out.

Oh, and don't forget. No crying until the end.

✔
When I was younger, I had a copy of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. It's the same game as Explorers of Sky, but without the extra missions and some quality of life things. It's also one game as opposed to two (the other half originally being Explorers of Time). Ever since I got my starter, definitely not by slightly rigging the quiz, I liked the game a lot, liking it more as time went on. Ever since then, I found a way to play Explorers of Sky. My enjoyment only continued to grow. I didn't care that not everyone loved it. After all, they were wrong.

It's a comfort game for me, and honestly, I needed that. When I first started replaying this, I was not feeling great. I was dealing with a ton of stressors and needed a game that brought me closer to the positive emotions I frankly needed during that time. That's when I remembered I had this game ready to play. Why not? I could use a bit of nostalgia.

I picked up the game, started playing, and instantly felt like I was younger again. I knew the story, but the twists and turns still got reactions out of me all those years later. Team Skull still sucked, the partner was still nice to see as they grew, and the player character's mystery still intrigued me, even if I knew all the answers. In those moments, I realized that I would not get tired of playing this. Ironic, because people call it repetitive. The story was just as great as ever, leading me to play through the game. I even approached the gameplay with a lot more strategy than I had back when I was younger, and that actually caused me to have a lot more fun than usual.

When I reached the ending, I felt happier. Sure, the horizon was still there, but I felt as though I could face it now. There's a lot I still need to do, but if I could conquer time itself in this game, I could conquer some stressors in real life. After all, only this game would be ballsy enough to leave off on a downer ending and still have an incredible story in my eyes. I know it's not permanent, but the fact that they did that still matters. They were willing to leave the player in a state of sadness, letting that same player feel relief with a sense of closure and hope that not a lot of other games provide.

I really hope that one day, there is a new game in this series (and I don't just mean a remake). It may need an overhaul, as some of the elements in this game are elements that I know people don't like. However, while I could talk about how perfect this game is and how other people are wrong, that won't lead to a new game. Regardless, the fact that I want a new one should be a testament to how strong this game is on its own. No game before or since, sub-series or otherwise, has matched it for me.

You know what? This is my favorite video game.